On August 12-14, the Carmelite Family of Peru gathered at Villa Carmelitas to celebrate the XI Meeting of the Carmelite Family.
After two years of not meeting due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the members came together again and celebrated as family. The gathering was marked by pain and sadness from what was experienced together during the pandemic. For the 2022 celebration, it was decided to reflect on the experience of God in everyday life.
The main theme of our reflection was: Holiness in Daily Life Following the Example of St. Titus Brandsma. Member of the Carmelite Family gathered from all parts of Peru and beyond: lay people, religious, students in formation, novices, lay people from Bolivia, “the whole family gathered with our eyes fixed on Jesus.”
“We gave thanks to God because the Villa Carmelita retreat center had become the place where we could recreate our experiences of God, or as someone said, it became our little Mount Carmel. We also give thanks for these spaces of fraternity because they reinforced our identity as Carmelites.” Luis Maza, general councilor for the Americas, and Enrique Laguna, director of the Centro de Espiritualidad Carmelita San Juan de la Cruz in Lima, Peru, facilitated the meeting. “They helped us to understand what it means to be saints in the challenges of daily life. We thank the whole team for the preparation of the meeting.”
